Fresh Eyes
by petals-to-fish
Summary: James is trying to grow a beard and Lily makes fun of him until she realizes she's actually really (really, really) into bearded James. NSFW. One shot. Jily.


**Disclaimer:** **definitely NSFW because I can't control my brain sometimes** (all the time) **.**

 **Song that helped inspire this one-shot is _Fresh Eyes_ by Andy Grammar.**

 **Shoutout to gryffindormischief for encouraging my weird quirky beard obsession.**

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 _I got these fresh eyes, never seen you before like this_

 _My God, you're beautiful._

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

Lily looked up from her book only after hearing Sirius' entertained snort at her side. She'd assumed he'd been asleep but apparently he'd been awake the whole time and had spotted something madly amusing. Sirius' pale face was cracked into a wide smile, showing off shockingly white teeth. Lily was not unaccustomed to Sirius' impish looks and quirked an eyebrow.

They were the only two seventh years in the common room; everyone else had ventured outside to play in the snow. Lily, who hated anything cold or wet, had opted to relax by the fire with Sirius (who equally hated cold and wet). Lily's pink fuzzy socks were pulled from his lap as she sat up straight at the sight of her boyfriend James Potter descending the staircase in fuzzy red pajama bottoms and a thin white shirt that fitted his form immeasurably well.

James fell in-between Sirius and Lily, allowing Lily to prop her feet back up on his own lap. His hazel eyes were blinking away the tired wrinkles on his face. James rubbed his face as he yawned and Sirius smirked. Sirius was not staring smugly at James' rumpled clothes or the fact that James was (finally) getting up at noon…instead he was focused on the small shadow of dark hair under James' upper lip.

"Forget to shave, mate?" Sirius asked as James played with Lily's fuzzy socks with amusement.

Light patches of brown stubble were apparent on his face in the flickering firelight as Lily leaned into the couch cushions to make room for the lanky quidditch player. It was only noticeable because his facial hair was as dark as the rat's nest atop his head. Lily nudged her boyfriend's hands away from her toes so she could continue reading her book without the tickling sensation of him playing with her feet.

"We're on holiday." James scoffed self-importantly, "I don't need to shave."

"You do if you want to kiss your girlfriend." Lily hummed as she flipped through the pages of _Charms: A Defense_.

"Is the hair supposed to grow in so inadequately?" Sirius teased next, brushing his fingers against James cheek playfully as Lily ignored James' ostentatious glare.

"I'm going to let it keep growing and fill out."

Lily was disgusted at the thought, especially when he kissed her cheek before going to grab food in the kitchens for dinner. Lily wasn't one of those girls who exactly _liked_ hair…anywhere…except on a person's scalp. She shaved religiously and shaved _everything_. As much as she enjoyed running her finger's through the hair on James' skull the hair on his face did not impress her. James' cheek felt more like her legs after she went a few days without shaving. He was prickly and uncomfortable.

Lily told James so but he seemed determined to grow in a proper beard after seeing a photo of his favorite quidditch player with one. Sirius thought it was hilarious how much she hated the beard and probably only encouraged James after the first argument.

"They're scratchy." Lily complained to James one night after he kissed her goodnight, "Can't you just shave it?"

"Beards are _refined_." James argued back.

"They're for old men like your dad and Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore's beard is _wicked_."

Lily laughed, imagining James with a long white beard like their headmaster.

She warned James, "I'm not kissing you again until you shave that beard off, and I mean it."

Of course, everyone noticed the added stubble to James Potter's tan cheeks as it grew in the next few days. Professor McGonagall suggested a razor at breakfast when James got some egg stuck in the bristles and Olivia Swift asked Lily if he was growing it on a dare. All in all, Lily spent the majority of her vacation teasing James as the stubble grew darker and got thicker around his chin.

About a week into this trend, James sat down next to her in the empty common room. She was reading another book, this time for fun instead of school. Everyone had gone to bed; it was close to three in the morning. James had just returned from rounds.

"How were rounds?" she asked offhandedly.

"Boring." He replied, his head leaned back against the pillows on the couch, "I hate that we have to do them over holiday."

Lily looked over the rim of her book, about to tell him to suck it up, when she lowered her book even more in surprise. He wasn't doing anything. On the contrary, he was actually just sitting next to her, staring at the ceiling. His fingers were fiddling with his head boy badge and his jaw was tight as he examined the ceiling like he was solving a complex problem. Lily's green eyes traced the curve of his jaw, covered in black hairs that were now neatly trimmed and similar in length. The beard made him look older just like Sirius had warned it would–but Lily was suddenly aware of how _mature_ it made James look.

Normally James' cheeks had a round juvenile look about them, paired with trouble in his hazel eyes. Lily loved his childlike exuberance and often looked to him for positive energy. Now, with the added beard, James' childish cheeks were outlined by dark hair that might've been trimmed–but was still equally as wild as the man that sat next to her.

He was handsome. Not that he wasn't normally handsome. In fact, James was quite attractive, but with his new beard he looked more refined…more dignified. He reminded Lily of some of the men in Marlene's Witch Weekly catalogue, Lily thought of James in dress robes and she was struck with an overwhelming desire to kiss him.

Of course, when she thought about kissing James, her mind went south immediately. Lily took a deep breath but it did her no good, she wanted to fuck him more with each passing second.

As if sensing her stare, James turned his cheek so that his hazel eyes met her gaze keenly. When she'd seen him earlier that day his beard hadn't been trimmed. It looked as if James had gotten one of his mates to help him shape the hair on his face into a masterpiece that highlighted every perfect arch. Lily assumed it was Sirius. She'd have to thank him later.

"Alright love?" He asked and she was only able to nod.

He'd gone from a cool nine on the attractive scale to a full-bodied ten. All thanks to the beard she'd spent the past week teasing him endlessly for. Of course, because Lily was a mature young woman…she'd _never_ admit to James how much she liked it or else she'd have to face his "I told you so's" until the end of time.

It was impossible to control her sudden attraction the minute he placed a hearty kiss on her cheek as he leaned into her space on the couch. This time, she didn't wince as James' beard rubbed against her cheek because it tickled her cheek, raising goosebumps on her forearm.

She was fucked and her self-resolve was flattened.

Lily turned her head to catch James' lips in her own. The hair on his face brushed against her chin as he met the push and the pull of her kiss. Lily's hands traced hungrily along his jaw (normally so smooth) and her fingers dragged through his beard like they normally dragged through the unmanageable hair atop his head. James appeared astonished by her sudden need to snog him considering she'd threatened to not kiss him until he shaved the bloody beard off but he didn't argue.

The fire was dying and a clock rang half past three. Lily hardly noticed the darkening room as he pressed his body into hers, leaning her back into the sofa. Lily was used to kissing James sans beard but James with a beard was like leveling up. Her fingers were wrapped in the long black strands of hair at the nape of his neck as he busied his lips down her jaw and onto her neckline. She had no idea why she was so against his beard, she mused, as her fingers tugged on his long strands …she so adored pulling on his hair when they were snogging and he was doing incredible things with his tongue.

James' beard chafed against her exposed skin and she trembled involuntarily under his touch. Lily's fingers dropped from his hair to yank him closer until he was tightly secured against her body and crushing her into the cushions of the couch. He kissed her on the lips again; clearly pleased with the direction their midnight rendezvous was heading based on the buck of his hips.

She was a pathetic excuse of a girlfriend, totally in love with her boyfriend and his heated snogs, especially with the added beard. She would love to feel him everywhere and _anywhere_ with his new look. She imagined another scenario, one where his fresh cut would elicit other bodily responses and she shuddered under him again.

" _Fuck_." He whispered after her additional tremor rubbed him just right, "what's got you so in the mood?"

Her fingers were tracing his jaw again; the facial hair not quite as soft as the hair on his head but still enough of a sensation to make her chuckle against his lips.

"Remember how I made fun of you for wanting to grow a beard?" She questioned sluggishly over his vexing tongue ministrations.

James' lips spread into a smug smile against hers as he nodded yes. James kissed Lily once more before tediously skating his lips down her neck. He purposely nuzzled her after each butterfly kiss. The arrangements alone were making Lily lean her head back in desire.

She was never going to let him shave ever again.

"Think your dorm is empty?" She whimpered as he bit her ear impishly after effectively sweeping her collar.

"Nah, but this room is." He said playfully before getting off her only to lift her up off the couch bridal style.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he looked around the common room. Anyone could walk downstairs. It wasn't the greatest place for them to go at it like animals.

"My dorm James," Lily told him, "It's empty."

"I can't get up there." He complained, "We'll go the boys staircase."

She could hardly protest as he set her on her feet, took her hand, and led her to the boy's staircase. James practically yanked Lily up the stairs and passed the door labeled _7th Years_ until they reached a door that was not labeled. He opened the door before pulling her inside. There were unmade beds and empty trunks. The empty dorm was their saving grace.

"How'd you know this was here?" Lily asked, impressed.

"Every dorm has an extra room," James replied before continuing to yank her towards the nearest four poster, "I just never needed a place before I met you."

She smiled up at him as she sat on the edge of the bed. He was towering over her with a smoldering gaze.

"I love you." She told James before she promptly lifted her shirt over her head.

If she wasn't positively enamored with her boyfriend before, she was now. Sex with James was one of Lily's favorite pastimes and she had a feeling she'd be rewarded for admitting the truth about his beard. James didn't wait, taking off his robes so he was left standing in just his underclothes. His lips here hot against her own after he leaned down to kiss her deeply.

"Not going to lie." She sighed before his lips latched onto her once more, "if you don't touch me soon, I'm going to get edgy."

James' throaty chuckle made her neck hair stand on end. Lily decided to take matters into her own hands, literally. She placed kiss after kiss down his jaw, removing his lips from their task. James' hands were warm as they slipped down to her skirt, lifting the fabric above her thighs. Lily hummed appreciation as his fingers gently rubbed against her, eliciting her hips to rock forward.

"Tell me," he loved watching her squirm under his touch, "what about my beard do you like?"

"You're fucking hot." She purred, "Is that a good enough answer?"

James' fingers yanked away the rest of her attire and before she could even catch her breath he knelt down in front of her. Lily squirmed on the edge of the bed, gawking at his wicked expression. Lily's hands gripped the edges of the mattress as his beard scratched against the inside of her thighs.

"Please," she begged and she could feel the pressure of anticipation building as he breathed in—so close–but still too far.

And she should've asked him to take it easy on her, she was only human after all, but soon his tongue was unrelenting against her and the sensual touch was enough to spin her world faster. She was used to James lavishing her in such a fashion since it was one of his favorite parts of sex to watch her writhe under his touch. Now though, with the addition of the beard tickling against the most sensitive part of her body, Lily was quivering in seconds. Lily's leg muscles were contracting against his style. James' fingers were soon added to the very familiar sweep of his mouth and she fought not to holler her appreciation for James too much.

It did no use though, trying to be quiet. Lily should've known that James wouldn't give up caressing her until she was singing his name and seeing a galaxy of stars on the dormitory ceiling.

When it took Lily twice as long to come out of her state of euphoria, James was mighty proud of himself. As Lily's eyes settled to a starless ceiling, he rested his body next to hers on the mattress, playing with the ends of her red hair. James shone like a sun in the darkness. She could taste herself on his lips when he kissed her again and Lily was delighted as her fingers shifted on his cheeks.

"Ready for round two?" she breathed, rolling over until she was straddling his hips.

James half laughed and half moaned as she swayed her hips into his, "I'm never shaving again."

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 **The goal of this one shot is for more fan art with bearded!James TBH.**

 **I'd say sorry but let's be real, I'm never sorry.**

 **xxx**

 **Petals**


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